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Travel Destination Strahan

The Wild West Coast of Tasmania. Cruise the Gordon River into the wilderness.

The West coast of Tasmania sits in the teeth of the “Roaring Forties”. These southern latitude trade winds howl from West to East around the bottom of the world, and apart from New Zealand and the tip of South America, Tasmania is the only place far enough south to get into their path. Travel Destination Strahan is the major town on the West Coast of Tasmania, and is at the top end of Macquarie Harbour, a natural refuge for shipping. It is today a fishing and tourism town of about 1,000 locals and lots of tourists in the summer months. It is the access point for the Gordon River Wilderness Cruise. This world class cruise will take you up the lower reaches of the Gordon River and into rainforest areas only accessed by boat or seaplane. Looking for solitude? Visit Ocean Beach for a walk on a deserted, cool temperate beach that is solitude itself.

History of Strahan: In the mid 1800’s Travel Destination Strahan was a shipping port for timber and a fishing village, only accessible by sea. The discovery of copper, silver, lead and zinc at Queenstown (inland from Strahan) in the late 1800’s increased its value as a port. This was an environment in which only the tough could survive, and the pioneering men and women of the early days on Tasmania’s west coast were tough indeed. When you experience this environment in the comfort of today, you can appreciate living here when the only way in or out was by boat – weather permitting! The most infamous prison settlement in the Australian Convict System was established on Sahah Island, set in Macquarie Harbour near the place it meets the Great Southern Ocean at Hell’s Gates. Visit Sarah Island as part of the Gordon River Wilderness Cruise.

Geography and Weather: Travel Destination Strahan is sheltered from the ocean by Macquarie Harbour. The Gordon River ends its 193 km (119 mi) trip through the wilderness rainforests of Tasmania, dumping its brown coloured water into the Harbour. The water is stained brown by the tannin in many plants along its course. It can rain hard on any day of the year in Strahan. The average annual rainfall is 1,457 mm (57″), with twice as many rainy days in May to October than over the other months. It is usually cool: expect summer average highs during the day of 21 C (70 F), with overnight lows 11 C (51 F). In Winter expect average daily highs of 12 C (54 F) and lows of 5 C (41 F). Make sure you bring your windproof gear, and a good waterproof jacket. Macquarie Harbour empties into the Ocean through Hell’s Gates.

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